Scotland Upsets France 27-24 in Edinburgh to Keep Six Nations Title Hopes Alive
Scotland produced one of the most memorable victories in Six Nations history on Tuesday evening, defeating heavily favored France 27-24 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, with fly-half Finn Russell's dramatic drop goal with just 18 seconds remaining capping a remarkable comeback that keeps Scottish championship hopes alive.
The 31-year-old Racing 92 playmaker was magnificent throughout the contest, finishing with 17 points including the winning drop goal that sent the capacity crowd of 67,144 into absolute delirium. Russell's nerveless kick from 40 meters sailed cleanly between the posts, completing one of the finest individual performances in recent Six Nations memory.
"I can't believe we've done it," Russell said through tears during his post-match interview. "France are probably the best team in the world right now, and to beat them at home like this, it's what dreams are made of. The crowd was incredible, and when you have 67,000 people behind you, anything is possible. This is why we play rugby."
France had controlled the majority of the contest behind the brilliant play of Antoine Dupont and Damien Penaud, building a 24-13 lead with 15 minutes remaining that appeared to put the result beyond doubt. However, Scotland's never-say-die attitude and the inspirational leadership of captain Stuart Hogg sparked a remarkable final-quarter surge.
Darcy Graham scored Scotland's crucial second try in the 68th minute, diving over in the corner after brilliant work from Duhan van der Merwe down the left wing. Russell's conversion made it 24-20, setting up a grandstand finish that had Murrayfield rocking from foundation to rafters as the home supporters sensed something special was building.
The victory represents Scotland's first win over France since 2021 and their biggest scalp under coach Gregor Townsend, demonstrating that his attacking philosophy can produce results against the world's elite teams. More importantly, it keeps Scotland in contention for their first Six Nations title since 1999, with crucial matches against Italy and Ireland still to come. Russell's moment of magic will be remembered for generations as the day Scotland proved they belong among rugby's elite nations.
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